抄録
Exhaled air contains numerous kinds of volatile chemicals derived from metabolic conditions in health and diseases. Breath chemicals such as nitric oxide and carbon monoxide are generally recognized as biomarkers for several diseases. However, there have been very few studies to refer whether mental status could be associated with volatile chemicals in breath. In the present study, we examined whether breath compositions or their concentration changes were associated with mental conditions. Seventy nine adults volunteered to this study. Current smokers and drinkers were excluded. Their heart rates and physical accelerations were monitored to determine their qualities of night sleep. Mental stress, depression and neurosis levels were evaluated by the General Health Questionnaires 28, Self-Depression Scale and Cornel Medical Index, respectively. Exhaled airs were collected into bags before and after night sleep and the concentrations of hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, acetone, acetaldehyde and ethanol were analyzed. There were significantly positive correlations among the concentration differences of expired carbon oxide before and after the sleep, total scores of GHQ and neurosis levels determined by the CMI scores. Breath hydrogen concentrations before night sleep were significantly correlated to depression levels. Another chemicals did not indicate significant correlations to neither mental status, nor sleep conditions determined by the heart rate variability and physical accelerations. These results suggested that exhaled air were closely associated with mental conditions. [J Physiol Sci. 2008;58 Suppl:S117]
